About us

Directors

Jack Waterford, AM (Chairman)

Jack Waterford is a distinguished Australian journalist and commentator. He graduated in law at the Australian National University and began his journalism career as a cadet with the Canberra Times in 1972, covering a broad range of rounds before being appointed deputy editor in 1987, editor in 1995 and editor-in-chief in 2001. Waterford is known for his investigative journalism using Freedom of Information legislation, his work and advocacy on indigenous health issues and on the national trachoma and eye health program. He has delivered papers at many public forums and written book chapters on areas as diverse as press freedom, the High Court of Australia, public administration and the Petrov affair. He received the Graham Perkin Australian Journalist of the Year award in 1985 and was appointed to a Jefferson Fellowship at the East-West Center in 1987. He was named a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 2007 Australia Day Honours, “for service to journalism, particularly as a commentator on national politics, the law, to raising debate on ethical issues and public sector accountability, and to the community in the area of Indigenous affairs”. In March 2007, Waterford was named Canberra Citizen of the Year. Presenting the award, Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Chief Minister Jon Stanhope said Waterford was a champion of many causes and a leading figure in his trade.

Derek Mortimer

Derek Mortimer is a practicing lawyer with expertise in not-for-profit and charity law and is Principal at DF Mortimer and Associates, Melbourne. He found inspiration to practice charity law during a study tour of community land trusts and revolving loan funds in the USA in 1993, and went on to develop a micro-finance project focused on sustainable development (“the landcare loans project”) for Australian rural communities. Mortimer undertook part time legal studies at the University of New England, and was admitted to practice law in 2005. He completed a report on the landcare loans project for the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation in 2003, and was commended by the Australian Landcare Council for his work. He advised and prepared the public consultation draft code of practice and complaints process for the Fundraising Institute of Australia; a code which is now independently regarded as being a benchmark of not for profit best practice. He prepared a bequest strategy for the Howard Florey Institute and a “plain English” deed of conservation covenant for Trust for Nature (Victoria). In 2012 and at the request of a consortium of funding bodies, Derek undertook and completed the first comprehensive legal analysis of community land trusts and their application in Australia. Through this analysis Derek has shown that the affordable housing goals of community land trusts can be achieved in Australia without the need to create a separate title to fixtures.

John Wallace

John Wallace is an Australian journalist and journalism educator with a long interest in international media development. He has managed and delivered programs for journalists in the Asia Pacific region over the past 25 years, including post-conflict work in East Timor for the European Commission, videoconference discussions for editors in tsunami-affected countries, professional dialogue initiatives in China and Indonesia, and workshops on journalism leadership and reporting economics, politics. He started in journalism with the Australian Broadcasting Commission and later worked for The Age, The (Melbourne) Herald, and Nation Review, where he was news editor. He has had postings in Stockholm with Reuters and in Jakarta as editorial training consultant with The Jakarta Post. He was media adviser to Australia’s first inquiry into newspaper ownership in 1981. He has degrees from the University of Melbourne in political science and journalism. Before joining the APJC, he was associate professor in journalism at the University of Queensland and director of the Centre for International Journalism. Previously, he headed the Journalism program at RMIT in Melbourne. He is a past president of the Journalism Education Association.